The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency received a mobile clinic on Feb. 10.
Health Officer Rebecca Burns said the agency is finalizing insurance and getting Motor Vehicle Records for the members of the staff who will be driving it, so it has not been mobilized yet.
“The agency identified a need for a mobile clinic around 2010,” Burns said. “We know that some of our clients have transportation limitations and would be better served if we could come to the town in which they live.”
Initially the clinic will be used for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, but eventually Burns said they plan to use it for standard immunizations and other public health services.
“Our plan is to have a two person team assigned to the mobile unit: a nurse and clerk,” Burns said. “We will also have other staff members cleared to drive the unit when needed.”
Kali Nichols, the personal health and disease prevention director, is the head of the staff that will be using the mobile clinic once it is operational. She said the current team of nurses and technicians are already trained for the programs that the clinic will be utilizing.
“It’s possible that we might need to make some policy or procedure adjustments given the limited space and nature of the mobile unit, but overall our team has the knowledge to run it,” Nichols said.
Nichols hopes the clinic will provide a sense of comfort and trust in the community.
“I hope that people will begin to see and recognize this big white van and know that we are here to serve and support them in every capacity that we can,” Nichols said.
